CLEVELAND, Ohio – Junior forward Erin Hollinger (Chardon, OH/Chardon) scored a game-high 23 points as the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team opened the 2010-11 season with a 59-49 victory versus Washington & Jefferson College (PA) on Monday, November 15 at Horsburgh Gymnasium.

The Spartans (1-0) are back in action this Friday and Saturday, November 19-20, at the Radisson Classic hosted by Carnegie Mellon University (PA). Case opens the weekend versus Muskingum University at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.  

Hollinger scored 12 points in the opening eight minutes as the Spartans sprinted out with a 25-3 run ending in a jumper by the ESPN Academic All-American at the 12:08 mark. During the stretch, the Spartans scored the game's first 14 points and connected on seven of their first 11 field goal attempts.

W&J cut its deficit to 16, at 32-16, following a pair of free throws from Vanessa Rivera at the 5:51 mark, but the Spartans were able to close on an 8-5 run to make the score 40-21 at the break.

The Presidents opened the second half on a 10-3 run and cut the score to 43-31 when Blair Cotton connected on a three-pointer at 13:25. Later in the half, W&J cut the Spartan lead to nine, at 48-39, when Cotton hit a jumper with 8:02 left to play.  

Undaunted, the Spartans answered with an 8-1 run ending in a Hollinger free throw that made the score 56-40 at the 6:13 mark. The Presidents were unable to trim the deficit below 10 the rest of the way as Case held on for the 59-49 victory.

In addition to Hollinger's 23 points, sophomore guard Evy Iacono (Cincinnati, OH/Mount Notre Dame) totaled 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Fellow sophomore guard Erica Iafelica (North Canton, OH/Hoover) totaled eight points and a team-best six rebounds.